Eagles

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971.^[1] The founding members were Glenn Frey (guitar, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon (guitar, vocals), and Randy Meisner (bass, vocals), all of whom had been performing together as Linda Ronstadt's backing band.^[2] Manager David Geffen recognized their talent and signed them to his newly established Asylum Records label.^[3]

The band quickly rose to prominence, cultivating country rock as the reigning style of American popular music during the 1970s.^[2] Their self-titled debut album (1972) featured the hit single "Take It Easy," followed by Desperado (1973) and On the Border (1974).^[1] The band achieved five number-one singles and six number-one albums over the course of the decade, along with six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards.^[1]

The Henley-Frey songwriting partnership, which would define the Eagles' sound, began in late 1972 when the pair started collaborating after returning from recording sessions in London. Their first efforts together produced "Desperado" and "Tequila Sunrise" within the same week.^[8] Henley had been working on the melody for "Desperado" since 1968, drawing on the influences of Stephen Foster and Ray Charles, before Frey helped him shape the unfinished piece into one of the band's signature songs.^[9] Henley later praised Frey's songwriting instincts, saying his partner "wrote some pivotal lines that I wouldn't have thought of in a million years."^[10]

Before forming the Eagles, Henley had played in a Texas band called Shiloh, through which he befriended Jim Ed Norman, who would later arrange the orchestral strings for "Desperado" at Island Studios in London with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.^[9]

Lineup changes shaped the band's evolving sound. Bernie Leadon departed in 1975 and was replaced by guitarist Joe Walsh, whose harder rock style proved influential.^[3] Randy Meisner left in 1977, with Timothy B. Schmit stepping in on bass and vocals.^[1] Walsh's first album with the group, Hotel California (1976), became their masterpiece and one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 32 million copies sold worldwide.^[4] The title track won Record of the Year at the 20th Grammy Awards.^[5]

Their compilation album, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), became the best-selling album in U.S. history with over 40 million units sold, surpassing Michael Jackson's Thriller.^[6] It was also the first album ever to be certified platinum by the RIAA when the certification was introduced in 1976, and in January 2026 it became the first album to earn Quadruple Diamond certification.^[6]

Internal tensions, particularly between Frey and Henley, led to the band's breakup in 1980 following the release of The Long Run (1979).^[3] They reunited in 1994, with Glenn Frey famously quipping at their first live performance, "For the record, we never broke up, we just took a 14-year vacation."^[1] The reunion led to the Hell Freezes Over live album and tour, and eventually to Long Road Out of Eden (2007), their first album of entirely new material in nearly three decades.^[2]

The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, in their first year of eligibility. Jimmy Buffett inducted the band, noting that they "put their thumb on the pulse of popular music."^[7] Glenn Frey passed away in January 2016, leaving Don Henley as the sole surviving founding member still active with the group.^[3] The band continues to perform, with a current lineup of Henley, Walsh, Schmit, Vince Gill, and Deacon Frey (Glenn's son). Their Las Vegas Sphere residency, launched in September 2024, has become the venue's longest-running show.^[3]